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Deus Ex Machina
Deus Ex Machina is an Action Drama Halo 3 Machinima made by solo machinima maker DigitalPh33r. Plot Deus Ex Machina is a action-drama series created in the world of Halo 3 and set in the same time period. In the last surviving city on earth known as Salvation City, a man named John Brent and his best friend Michael Jacobs build a high tech suit of armor. John dons the armor and assumes the identity "Deus Ex Machina" to keep crime in the city under control. However, he soon learns that genetic augmentation drugs are being spread throughout the city by a supervillain named Plague. Episode 1 - "Deus Ex Machina" During his investigation of Plague, Deus receives a message written in a dead civilian's blood on a wall leading him to an underground laboratory on an island off the city shoreline. Episode 2 - "Decapitator" When investigating the island laboratory, he is captured by Leonnard Phillips, and forced to fight for his life against a monstrous foe called "The Decapitator," which is a lab experiment for a MJOLNIR suit he's developing. Fortunately, Michael follows John's trail and rescues him. Before Deus departs from the island with Michael, he traps the scientist inside his laboratory with the Decapitator and leaves him to die. Episode 3 - "Corrupt" It's Christmas in Salvation City. During the Mayoral Election, it turns out the newly elected mayor, "Derek Owen" is really Plague. He overpowers and buries Deus Ex Machina alive in a casket under snow for four days. Episode 4 - "The End" When he breaks out, he begins a quest for vengeance and kills most of Plague's men, but ultimately fails when he is shot in the head by Plague himself. Michael is afterwards taken captive by Plague's men and ordered to build him a new power suit stronger than John's. Fortunately, at the end credits, it shows that Deus Ex Machina is still alive but unconscious on a beach. Episode 5 - "Execution" Salvation Rebels find John on a beach, and save his life. John eventually awakes, and learns that while he was out, Salvation City has become overrun with the augmentation drugs and is no longer safe under Derek Owen's place in office. John is desperate to go back and rescue Michael, but due to the bullet in his head, the right side of his body has not recovered functions, and the Rebels won't let him go until he's made a full recovery. Deus Ex Machina returns to Salvation City one month later, fully recovered and equipped with new armor enhancements, and restarts his quest to bring down Plague. The first person he encounters is a guard, which he quickly defeats, then Phil O'Malley. After Phil refuses to tell Deus where Michael is, Deus beats the information out of him, then drowns him in a nearby river. Shortly after entering Plague's building, John encounters the Decapitator again, and kills him with a propane tank. He at last reaches the top of the building and has a final showdown against Plague. After a short game of cat and mouse, John finally kills Plague by throwing him off the roof of his building. After recovering Michael, Deus makes it his new mission to find the remnants of Plague's men and bring them to justice. The end credits show one of those men overlooking the area. Episode 6 - "Parasite" At the beginning of episode 6, Deus accidentally shoots and kills a civilian's son while battling Behemoth (the man shown at the end of episode 5.) This sends John's reputation into a downward spiral, and he resorts to drinking to get rid of the pain. During this time, an alien parasite lands on Earth and bonds with one human after another, turning them into superpowered monsters. Deus Ex Machina eventually confronts the creature himself, only to end up getting infected by it as well, turning his armor color from steel to blood red. Episode 7 - "Symbiosis" Deus Ex Machina has become a cruel and merciless vigilante, as a result of having bonded with the parasite. He threatens to kill Michael should he try to remove it, despite Michael's warnings that its killing him. Deus tracks down Behemoth to a warehouse and attacks him, brutally beating him to a pulp. Just as he is about to deliver the killing blow, Michael appears (wearing a power suit of his own), and fights John to remove the parasite from him. After Behemoth escapes, angry civilians set fire to the warehouse while John and Michael are battling inside. John soon becomes engulfed in flames, which removes the parasite from his body, turning him back to normal. The parasite is killed by Michael, and John carries Micheal to safety away from the burning building. In the aftermath, Deus Ex Machina sincerely apologizes to the civilian who's son he killed for what he did. Behemoth is later murdered by an unknown man who drains the genetic augmentation drugs from his body, while telling him that "Deus Ex Machina is mine and mine alone". Episode 8 - "Doomsday (Part 1 of 2)" The episode opens with a flashback to John's university days and how he didn't care about his own future and possibly makes a very large mistake, by insulting Patrick Owen (son of soon to be villain Derek Owen). In present day Mayor Russell Simpson of Salvation City has relunctantly issued for Deus Ex Machina to be killed. Two UNSC combat officers are dispatched. They eventually find John and have him at gunpoint, but John makes a clever escape by telling them "your warthog is on fire" and turns invisible when their backs are turned. With the UNSC hunting him, the citizens out to get him, and is reputation ruined, John cannot take anymore and decides to abandon the Deus Ex Machina identity as well as Michael, knowing he would be in danger if he stayed with him. Two weeks later the crime rate in the city has doubled but the city is happy to know Deus Ex Machina is gone. John is encountered by a man in an unknown armor permutation (Recon), who warns him that "Doomsday" is coming, reveals his knowledge of John's alias Deus Ex Machina, and that he should check on Michael. John sprints to find Michael but finds a video instead reading "Play Me" on the screen. John does so and is horrified at what he sees next. The video footage shows the same man with Michael gagged. He explains that he pulled out all of his teeth and plucked out all of his nails. He then slowly beheads Michael right in front of the camera, making John vomit while he cries. The man also explains to John what Doomsday is on a citywide warning. The man is going to release a robot that will rampage through the city. 24 hours after, he will release a deadly biological virus that will kill all of the city's inhabitants. Salvation citizens begin to panic and scream, having no-one to help them and nowhere to escape. The laptop video continues, telling John that this is far from a joke, and revealing the robot he set loose, an exact green colored replica of Deus Ex Machina. He describes the virus he'll be releasing as having no antidote, and can kill within only minutes of exposure. He asks John if can he stop Doomsday. The video ends, starting the clock. The Episode ends, followed by a timer that begins counting down from 24 hours. At the end credits, a brief clip showing the video of Michael's dead body is shown. What this indicates is unknown, but may be an indication that Michael might still be alive... Episode 9 - "Doomsday (Part 2 of 2)" The conclusion of Deus Ex Machina, yet to be released. =Characters= Main Characters John Brent/Deus Ex Machina First Appearance: Episode 1 - "Deus Ex Machina" The main character of Deus Ex Machina. He fights many battles over the course of the series. The powers that John's suit grants him are the following: an energy shield, enhanced strength and speed, night and thermal vision, temporary cloaking and temporary invulnerability. John Brent and Michael seemingly lived as best friends all their lives. When the crime in the city they lived in began to grow out of control, Michael put his technological genius to good use and constructed a powerful suit of armor for John to use to bring the crime under control. John assumed the identity "Deus Ex Machina", and became an infamous superhero to defend Salvation City. He fought dangerous foes, such as the monstrous Decapitator, and defeated them all. Deus Ex Machina met his first defeat at the hands of Derek Owen, aka. Plague, the kingpin of crime in Salvation City. He was shot in the head at the end of their first battle and thrown off a high ledge dozens of feet off the ground. Fortunately, John was found and nursed back to health by civilians who fled the city when Plague took it over. They increased Deus' power by equipping his suit with new armor enhancements. Deus Ex Machina returned to the city one month later and defeated Plague, but was left to deal with the remnants of Plague's henchmen. A while later, during a battle against the rouge Behemoth, Deus accidentally shot and killed a citizen's son. This nearly destroyed his reputation and made him hated and despised by the people of the city he spent so long protecting. The final blow was struck when he became infected by an alien parasite that transformed him from a caring hero into a cruel and merciless vigilante. He went on a rampage that threatened Salvation City, so Michael fought him to remove the parasite. John nearly killed him, but was freed from the parasite and restored to normal before he could do so. In the aftermath, Deus Ex Machina was issued a fugitive by the mayor of Salvation City and hunted by the UNSC. Michael Jacobs First Appearance: Episode 1 - "Deus Ex Machina" John Brent's best friend and technological assistant. He appears to have incredible technological engineering skill, so much that even the villain Derek Owen complimented his work. Michael and John were known to be friends since their college years. Michael was the one who designed and built John's power suit. He doesn't accompany Deus Ex Machina on his heroic mission's most of the time, and only interferes when Deus is in danger. Unfortunately, even though he isn't out there risking his life like John is, Michael has still had a large share of danger. When John was captured by Leonnard Phillips at the Island Plaza, Michael was forced to save him on his own. Arriving at the plaza, he sneaked into the complex, knocked out Phillips and then activated an elevator that allowed Deus Ex Machina to escape death from the clutches of the Decapitator. After John was buried alive by Plague's men, Michael was ordered by Plague himself to construct an even more powerful suit for him to use. Michael later witnessed John getting shot in the head by Plague before being escorted to a cell by Phil O'Malley. One month later, Behemoth had been brutally torturing Michael to make him build the new suit (Behemoth broke a few of his toes). When John killed Plague, he arrived at Michael's cell and helped him walk out of the complex. Their friendship was almost ruined however. When Deus Ex Machina was fighting Behemoth, he accidentally killed a man's son, despite Michael's warnings to not fire his gun. Michael let John stay at his place to cope with what he had done, but John instead became a heavy drinker. Michael wanted him to stop, which led to a brutal argument between him and John, and ended with John storming off. When John became evil after being infected by an alien parasite, Michael fought him to save him from it, but was nearly killed. After John got caught on fire and the parasite jumped off him, Michael shot and killed it. John soon chose to abandon his role as Deus Ex Machina for all that he had done. He also chose to end his friendship with Michael, knowing that as long as Michael was his friend, he would always be in danger. This unfortunately was a huge mistake, because now Michael had no one to protect him. He was later captured and brutally murdered by a villain who slowly decapitated him. Even worse, the villain video taped Michael's death to show it to John Brent. It is however uncertain whether Mike is actually dead or if it was even Mike seen. Derek Owen/Plague First Appearance: Episode 3 - "Corrupt" The main villain for the first half of the series, Plague is responsible for the spread of genetic augmentation drugs throughout Salvation City. His main goal was to take over Salvation City. 5 years previous to Deus Ex Machina, during John Brent's university days, Derek Owen had served in the Armed Forces in the Human-Covenant War. He was discharged after he became mentally unfit for duty after surviving a battle against the Covenant. Patrick Owen, his son, dropped out of university and joined the Armed Forces too, 2 weeks after John insulted his father. 2 days after Patrick went MIA (Missing In Action), Derek apparently had a psychological breakdown and disappeared too. During the Mayoral Election, back to present day, Derek Owen hired an assassin to take out John, but hit a homeless man instead, and shot himself after Deus cornered him. After the failed hit, Derek requested a secret meeting with Deus Ex Machina. There, he revealed his identity as Plague as well as his knowledge of Deus' actual identity, John Brent. Plague requested that John join him and rule Salvation City by his side. When he refused, Plague had is assistant Phil O'Malley subdue him with an electromagnetic pulse, then he himself knocked John unconscious and buried him alive. Plague then kidnapped Michael and ordered him to build a MJOLNIR suit more powerful than John's in exchange for John's survival (which was a false promise). Four days later, Deus Ex Machina broke free from his grave and set out to kill Plague for revenge. He defeated a few of Plague's men, and even ran Plague over with a Jeep. Unfortunately, just when Deus was about to rescue Michael, Plague emerged from the rubble in a more powerful form and defeated Deus with one, powerful punch. He asked John one more time to join him, and when he refused again, he shot Deus in the head and let him fall of an extremely high ledge. One month later, Plague had conquered Salvation City. He ordered one of his assistant's (later identified as Behemoth) to torture Michael to force him to build his new power suit. However, Deus Ex Machina didn't die, and returned to Salvation City more powerful than ever thanks to new armor enhancements made by Salvation Rebel technicians. Plague sent all of his available henchmen, and even the Decapitator, after Deus, all of which were killed. Deus confronted Plague at the top of his building. After a short game of cat and mouse, Deus Ex Machina overpowered Plague, beat him to a pulp, and then threw him off the roof of his building, where he plummeted to his death. Major Characters Patrick Owen First Appearance: Episode 8 - "Doomsday (Part 1 of 2)" The son of Derek Owen. He studied Robotics at the University College of Salvation City (UCSC), the same University that John Brent and Michael Jacobs attended. He picked on John Brent for not performing well on his courses. After John had a meeting with Mr. Dennison, Patrick began to pick on him again. Unable to take it, John insulted him by referring to his "Basket-case for a father". Patrick took it extremely heavily. 2 weeks after the incident, John and Michael found out from a fellow student that he dropped out about a week previously and joined the Armed Forces, went MIA (Missing In Action) 2 days ago along with his father, Derek Owen, who heard about Patrick and apparently had a psychological breakdown. John and Michael stood speechless in disbelief at the possibility that John's single insult could have led to these events. He is presumed to be the unknown figure who killed Behemoth, confronted John, (apparently) beheaded Michael Jacobs on video, and is behind the "Doomsday" attack on Salvation City. Phillip O'Malley First Appearance: Episode 3 - "Corrupt" Derek Owen's personal assistant and the host of a talk show, "The Phillip O'Malley Show". He spread bad word about Deus Ex Machina via his talk show, even to the point of cutting off Mayor to-be-at-the-time Russell Simpson when he debated against him (Probably to encourage civilians to take the Augmentation Drugs he and Derek Owen were distributing). When John Brent refused to join Plague in conquering Salvation City, Phil used his power to subdue John with an electromagnetic pulse, which gave Plague enough time to knock him out. He later witnessed Deus Ex Machina getting shot in the head by Plague, then escorted Deus' friend Michael to a holding cell. One month after Plague took over the city, Phil became a guard at his building. When Derek attempted to contact another guard and received no response, Phil was sent to check out the problem. When he arrived, he found the guard unconscious with Deus Ex Machina standing over his body. Phil tried to use another EMP blast on him, but Deus was unaffected thanks to some new armor enhancements he was equipped with. Realizing this, Phil attempted to contact Plague and inform him that Deus Ex Machina was still alive, but Deus punched him and broke his nose. Deus then demanded to know where Michael was being kept. Phil refused to tell him, forcing Deus to beat the information out of him. After Phil gave in and told him Michael's location, Deus drowned him in a nearby river. His surname may be a possible reference to O'Malley from the Red vs. Blue series. Christopher Armstrong/Behemoth First Appearance: Episode 5 - "Execution" One of Plague's most powerful henchmen, only rivalled by the Decapitator. Not much is known about Behemoth, only that he served Derek Owen loyally, and that he is a mute. Midway through the series, Plague took over Salvation City and captured Michael, John Brent's best friend. Behemoth was ordered by Plague to be Michael's torturer in an effort to make him build a power suit for Plague. When Plague was killed by Deus Ex Machina, Behemoth went rogue and set out to kill Deus. Behemoth later attempted to snipe John Brent, but John noticed him and managed to avoid the shot. As Behemoth tried to run away, Deus Ex Machina attempted to shoot him from behind, but a civilian's son got in the way and took the bullet instead, giving Behemoth more time to escape. A while later, Behemoth was hunting Deus inside a large warehouse. However, it turned out that Deus was hunting him. Deus encountered him with his power augmented by an alien parasite, and the two had a short battle which Behemoth lost. Just as Deus Ex Machina was about to execute him, Michael stepped in and fought John to save him from the parasite. As the two friends battled, Behemoth escaped yet again. This escape was short lived however, because a short time later, Behemoth was confronted by an unknown figure (No known alias. Presumed to be Patrick Owen). The unidentified figure drained the genetic augmentation drugs from his body, as well as a large amount of blood, which apparently killed him. Leonnard Phillips First Appearance: Episode 2 - "Decapitator" Leonnard Phillips is a scientist who operated on an Island Plaza off the Salvation City shoreline. He had been trying to get funding for development of a MJOLNIR Armor design he created, but never succeeded, until he saw The Decapitator's Banshee fall from the Earth's Atmosphere. Phillips found the crash site and took the Decapitator back to his lab for medical treatment. Phillips managed to save his life, and to heal his leg paralysis, gave him multiple types of the SPARTAN Project Genetic Augmentation Catalysts. He used so many, he couldn't remember all of the names of the Catalysts he gave him. Seeing the opportunity, Phillips gave the Decapitator a home in the underground tunnels of his laboratory, and made him a test subject for the new armor he wanted to develop. Philips finally succeeded in getting funding from Derek Owen, aka Plague, who wanted a new MJOLNIR Armor for his own purposes. Phillips began to rob Salvation City banks, using the Decapitator as his assistant. He made a pheromone to prevent the Decapitator attacking him. When Deus Ex Machina began fighting city crime, Phillips set the Decapitator loose on an innocent civilian, and he then wrote on the wall with the victim's blood "D.E.M. COME TO ISLAND PLAZA OR ANOTHER DIES". Deus Ex Machina complied, then Phillips surprised him, knocked him unconscious, and left him down in the Decapitator's home to die. Phillips told John about the Decapitator, who at the time was sleeping, and told him the only way to escape was a service elevator into the tunnels that he controlled. Phillips then leaves the speakers and ignores John's cries for help. While John fought for his life, Phillips listened to opera music, chuckling as he heard the screams & gunfire. Michael sneaked in and knocked him unconscious, and sent down the service elevator to get John out. As they both got outside, the Decapitator escaped from his captivity. John and Michael escaped from the laboratory, sealing the gate behind them. Philips chases after them, shooting at them, but is left behind. He begs and cries for mercy, explaining he doesn't have his pheromone he uses to control the Decapitator prepared, and there's nothing preventing him from killing him. But Deus Ex Machina leaves him at the mercy of the Decapitator, who charges at him and slices his head off. "The Decapitator" First Appearance: Episode 2 - "Decapitator" An Elite Warrior who crashed landed on Earth. Leonnard Phillips saved him from his injuries, and healed his leg paralysis by overdosing him with countless types of the SPARTAN Project Genetic Augmentation drugs, giving him countless enhancements, basically turning him into a walking battle tank. He was infected with what Phillips guessed was a Flood infection, but in truth was the same alien parasite that infected John Brent later on in the series. Phillips gave him a home in the underground tunnels of his research facility, and the nickname "The Decapitator", due to the fact he killed his victims by severing off their heads with his Energy Sword. He was the subject of Phillips MJOLNIR Armor project, who wore a prototype Phillips was developing. Using the pheromone Phillips created, he had the Decapitator assist him in his armed robberies. When Phillips captured Deus Ex Machina, he dumped him in the Decapitator's lair, waiting for the Decapitator to kill him. After Michael rescued John from the tunnels, the Decapitator escaped from his lair. John and Michael escaped from the lab, sealing the laboratory, trapping Phillips and the Decapitator inside it. Phillips hadn't had his pheromone prepared, so the Decapitator severed his head off. When Deus Ex Machina entered Mayor Derek Owen's base of operations, Derek trapped him, and revealed he had the Decapitator, and let him loose to kill Deus Ex Machina. After an intense battle, the Decapitator had him trapped and moved in for the kill. John saw a propane tank amongst the wreckage and shot it. It launched itself and killed the Decapitator on direct impact, narrowly missing John. Mayor Russell Simpson First Appearence: Episode 3 - "Corrupt" Mayor Russell Simpson was Derek Owen's opposition in the Mayoral Election. He supports Deus Ex Machina and what he has done for the people of Salvation City. He expressed that while on the Phil O'Malley Show, but O'Malley cut off his microphone, denying him his right to speak. Derek Owen won the election. After Owen's death, Simpson became Mayor by default. After Deus Ex Machina had become possessed by the alien parasite (which had also consumed the Decapitator) he began a crime spree. Mayor Simpson, reluctant to bring down Deus Ex Machina had no choice but to call the UNSC for assistance to take him down to protect the people of Salvation City. The UNSC sent down two combat officers to execute Deus Ex Machina. Minor Characters Peter Rowling First Appearence: Episode 4 - "The End" Another one of Derek Owen's men, and also Deus Ex Machina's first kill. He was tasked with spying on John and Michael, and passing on all intel acquired, using Active Camoflauge to avoid being detected. Peter assisted in guarding Michael after they buried John and captured Michael. When Peter found out about the Temporary Invulnerability Shield Power the Deus Ex Machina suit possessed, he told Owen of his concern that John could use that ability to shield himself, and detonate a grenade to blow himself out of the steal coffin he had been buried in for 4 days, implying that Deus Ex Machina may be still carrying weaponry, including grenades. Owen didn't think much of it, as he thought that John's thoughts were clouded by thirst and hunger, and he wouldn't be brave enough to do such a thing. But he decided to send Peter to fill John's coffin with concrete and kill him. Peter heads back out to the snowy plains and offers John his last words. Just after, he hears a ping down the air pipe, then a massive bang down bellow the surface. Knowing what just happened, he runs for his pistol on the quad, but John digs himself out and knocks him over. After a fierce fist-fight, involving John taking a bullet to the leg, John gets the gun and shoots Peter. Unable to fight, Peter taunts him continuously. John shoots him again, but Peter continues. Then John shoots him in the throat. While he chokes on his blood, John reloads the gun, and finally executes him. After getting over the emotional pain of killing somebody, John takes the quad and heads off to find Owen. Infected Civilian First Appearence: Episode 6 - "Parasite" A civilian who fell victim to the Parasite that crashed out in the restricted desert, that also infected Deus Ex Machina. He drove two of his friends out into the restricted desert area outside of Salvation City. Dead Son's Father First Appearence: Episode 6 - "Parasite" A civilian who's son was killed by Deus Ex Machina when caught in the crossfire of a firefight between him and Behemoth. Mr Dennison First Appearence: Episode 8 - "Doomsday (Part 1 of 2)" A teacher at the UCSC John attended 5 years previous to the events of Deus Ex Machina.